Bomber Witches: Operation Desert Storm
by RobertaMorgan
Summary: The year is 1991. In the 3 years since the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, Teki forces have swept westward across the Middle East, destroying major infrastructure in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and have now set their sights on Kuwait. It is now up to the 9th JSF and the US-led Coalition forces to stop the Teki in their path, and push north to silence this new threat to peace...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Wounded Bear**

Paktia Province, near the Pakistan – Afghanistan border

January 6, 1988

The wind rustled calmly through the blanched desert hills, as dry plants and sand responded in a melodious dance with the air. The rugged terrain stretched on for miles, with almost no end in sight. Amidst this undisturbed ecosystem, a roaring noise began to grow in the eastern sky, a regulated sound like multiple birds all flapping their wings rapidly at once.

The noise grew ever louder by the second, until the fearsome silhouette of a Mil Mi-24 'Hind' gunship rose above the hill. Just behind it, was another Mi-24 and an Mi-8T 'Hip' attack/transport helicopter. Each of the Mi-24's was armed to the teeth with a 23mm GSh-23L gatling gun mounted in a chin turret, four 32-count 57mm rocket launching pods, 9K114 'Shturm' anti-tank missiles in two sets of four mounted on underwing pylons, and enough seats for eight soldiers onboard. The Mi-8 was more of a transport, having 24 seats onboard, but carried six of the 32-count 57mm rocket launchers, and two 23mm GSh-23L gunpods fixed under the wings.

Along with the 40 paratroopers and their choppers were four Bomber Witches from the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division operating out of Engels AFB in Saratov, Russia. Flanking the three-helicopter formation from the right was a young blonde girl with chocolate brown eyes wearing a fluffy white ushanka fur hat and a Soviet airman's coat, but she was flying alongside her comrades utilizing a Tu-95 'Bear' heavy bomber unit. Her name was Rozalina Melkin, a Soviet Bomber Witch – and one of the last propeller driven bomber witches – entrusted with escorting the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment to the Paktia Province. She was armed with a 23mm AM-23 autocannon and 15,000kg of bomb capacity which included Kh-22 'Kitchen' standoff cruise missiles with 1000kg RDX filled conventional warheads, and KAB-500KR guided 500kg bombs. Her unit was very unusual, not only because it was the last propeller driven heavy bomber unit left in active service, but because it used NK-12 engines connected to contra-rotating propellers which were so loud a submarine crew could hear the noise even at 500m water depth. While not as fast as other jet powered bombers, she had the range advantage over her counterparts. Her callsign was 'Kuznetsova.'

To the left of the formation was Natalya's sister, Valentina Melkin, who flew the jet-powered Tupolev Tu-160 'Blackjack' strategic bomber. A response to the American B-1 Lancer project, the Tu-160 incorporated the same variable geometry wings that could swing back for supersonic flight, rotary launchers for free-fall bombs, guided bombs or cruise missiles allowing her to carry up to 45,000kg of ordnance, and an AM-23 autocannon like Rozalina's. She wore a grey airman's helmet with an oxygen mask, and a dark grey flight suit with the squadron insignia on it. Her silvery blonde hair was neatly tucked under the helmet in beautiful French braids, with one bright red streak going through her hair, and her periwinkle eyes sparkled in the bright desert. Her callsign was 'Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya,' a historical reference to the 1917 October Revolution in Petrograd.

In the trail position was Ludmila Mikhailovich, a pilot originally from the Soviet Baltic Fleet who flew the Tu-22M 'Backfire' maritime strike bomber. The unit's weapons included a 23mm GSh-23 autocannon, and a rotary launcher with 24,000kg bomb load capacity including conventional Kh-22 cruise missiles, guided bombs, free-fall bombs, and naval mines. Her outfit was very different, being a bright orange flight suit with a built-in life vest, and a white helmet with sun visor over her mustard yellow eyes and brown hair with dirty blonde highlights. Her callsign was 'Bogatyr,' the word for a knight in the East Slavic legends.

Several thousand kilometers above was their AWACS, Tatyana Nikolayevna, a witch who flew the Beriev A-50 AWACS unit under the callsign 'Krasnaya Luna' ('Red Moon'). Her unit was based on the Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft and she was equipped with an experimental electromagnetic rifle modeled off the CheyTac anti-material rifle. Her curly raven black locks were interrupted only by her dark purple bangs, and she wore a modified helmet with a full HUD projected across the inside of her visor, an oxygen compressor, and a grey-white flight suit that blended in with the horizon. A pair of lilac purple eyes anxiously scanned the information flowing through her HUD, while keeping a close watch on the radar scanner.

Two months earlier, the Soviet 40th Army had undertaken Operation Magistral to reopen the road between the cities of Gardez and Khost near the Pakistani border. The latter of these was home to a 2.7km runway and the main helicopter base for Soviet operations in the area but had been disrupted by a local revolution. To make matters worse, a Teki meteor had landed in the region earlier in the month, establishing a new Nest that the army had failed to disrupt. Supply convoys passing through the mountain roads came under intense fire from Teki large caliber energy cannons codenamed 'Jupiter,' and for this reason Chairman Gorbachev had called on the airborne regiment to attack and capture the Satukandav Pass – a key section of the winding supply road.

There was one major flaw – nobody knew exactly where the Teki forces were hiding, and so Col General Boris Gromov called for an airdrop of dummy paratroops in the mountain pass, intending for the Teki to open fire and reveal their positions for the artillery observers.

The helicopter force touched down on Hill 3234 overlooking the Satukandav Pass and stirred up the ancient sand as the troopers dismounted. They began to unload several 12.7mm DShK heavy machine guns, a KPV 14.5mm machine gun, sandbag fortifications, ammo boxes, grenades, radios, a 2B9 'Vasilek' 82mm mortar launcher from the cargo sling and a couple of RPG-7 rocket launchers. Rozalina continued to orbit around the hill with Valentina and Ludmila, searching for any hostiles with enhanced optics while Ludmila kept on eye on the radar.

"There's nobody here. …what are we doing here again?" Rozalina asked commander Sergey Tkachyov, who was on the ground supervising the supply offloading.

"Why are you here?" He echoed angrily. "You're here to protect us from attacks and perform bombing runs if need be. What, did you think the choppers were going to stay here and risk getting damaged? You're here to minimize losses, even if that means being the bait."

Rozalina's heart sunk. It had been 35 years since Joseph Stalin passed away, and currently in his place was Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev who did not see a consistent need for Bomber Witches. His restructuring of Soviet military strategies meant that the days of the bomber as a symbol of Soviet airpower were essentially over, and with the US' induction of the helicopter as a major combat element in Vietnam, Gorbachev would not be outdone and prioritized a helicopter force for the USSR. This made choppers much more important to the military than some anachronic heavy bombers.

After acknowledging her defeatist silence, Tkachyov pulled out his radio again. "That's what I thought. Now you'd better get your head right, because once the choppers leave, you're our only air support. Remember what's at stake here – if the Teki manage to destroy our convoy, the remaining units in Khost will starve to death or run out of bullets, whichever comes first. If that happens, we won't be able to hold this area efficiently.

"Understood, sir." Rozalina sighed. She continued to survey the desert with her binoculars, orbiting Hill 3234 in the process. The IL-76 transport planes came into view on the radar, roaring by as they dropped hundreds of dummy paratroopers out the loading ramp. As parachutes were deployed by the fake army, a storm of laser bullets came rushing up to meet them, singing the plastic and wood decoys.

"There's more than I imagined, but it's a good thing the dummies took the blow for us." Tkachyov grumbled. "Ivan, send the data to Tatyana so she can redistribute it."

"Yes sir," Lt. Ivan Pavlovich answered, "My team is sending the data now."

"…Data received. It's fairly spotty, but the enemy has heavy caliber anti-air guns set to the north of us, as well as multiple shots fired from small arms caliber." Tatyana explained.

"We need to be prepared, they could rush us at any moment." Tkachyov pondered. He then ordered his men to start digging defensive lines and building extra fortifications using loose rocks from the hilltop.

Rozalina watched as the young paratroopers stripped the upper halves of their clothes off, writhing in the sweltering heat as they dug up any large rocks they could use. The protective walls were soon built, and the KPV heavy machine gun was installed on top of a turret base to be used for anti-aircraft defense. A small command center was also built of rocks, housing the radio antenna and the commander's personal quarters.

Commander Sergey squatted down for a smoke break and beckoned for Lt. Ivan to join him.

"Surely they would've attacked us by now." Sergey wondered, sighing and blowing a large cloud of smoke.

"Perhaps they don't know we're here." Ivan smiled.

Sergey chuckled a little. "Don't be so naïve. This isn't some random battle, it's a test of endurance."

"Why not just bomb their positions?" Ivan ventured.

"There you go again." Sergey snapped. "If our witches were to go and bomb them, we might never discover their base of operations."

"Ah, an interesting proposition to be sure. But, if the 40th Army couldn't defeat their nest, what chance have we?" Ivan sighed.

"Pavlovich – no… Ivan." Sergey stood up slowly. "Our brothers are dying in Khost, and we cannot allow that to continue. We fight for the common man, no? Giving our lives to protect our brothers and the motherland is the highest honor we could hope to achieve."

"Understood, sir." Ivan answered, stomping out his cigarette in the sand.

Night fell, and while most of the soldiers had retired to their sleeping bags, a skeleton crew was placed on watch duty at the machine gun posts. The witches continued to loiter around the hill, growing weary from the extent of the mission.

"I'm so sleepy…" Ludmila yawned.

"Don't do that, yawning is contagious." Valentina snapped.

"Be vigilant, girls." Rozalina ordered. "We have to keep this place safe."

"Listen up, mission update from command." Tatyana spoke up. "The supply column will near the Satunkadav pass by daybreak tomorrow. All we have to do is make sure it gets through safely."

"But I'm tired!" Ludmila whined. "I won't be able to stay in the air like this…!"

"Settle down, you might just get some excitement after all – I've got movement on infrared." Valentina interrupted.

"How many?" Rozalina asked.

"Uhm… at least six units, no, seven. Probably scouts for a larger force." Valentina replied.

"Shit." Rozalina muttered, switching channel to the ground forces HQ. "Commander Tkachyov, enemy scouts have mobilized at the base of the hill. Requesting permission to counter attack."

A moment passed, then a very groggy voice answered the radio. "Oy, is 3 in the morning. I'll wake Viktor and Ivan, you stay in orbit for now." Tkachyov grumbled.

"Sir-" Rozalina began.

"Did I stutter?! Follow your orders, cyka!" Tkachyov yelled, setting the receiver down harshly.

"Debil…" Rozalina said, switching channels.

"Roza, our guys have started moving, but the enemy is sending infantry with light armor support up the back road as well." Valentina reported.

Rozalina scratched her head rapidly in frustration. "We can't hold this area without ground support, even if the commander is a debil… Try to contact the primary defense unit and tell them to lay low for close air support."

"Roger." Valentina acknowledged.

"Ludmila, with me. Valentina, standby with missiles if you see any heavier units. Tatyana, can you mark the targets?" Rozalina asked.

"Of course, displaying hostile units on your HUD, don't hit any allies. Cleared to engage." Tatyana said, sending the data.

Rozalina and Ludmila banked out of their orbit, heading for Hill 3234. A large group of Teki ground troops was advancing up the hill behind the scouts, appearing as little white spots on the infrared camera. As the bomber witches closed the distance, a flurry of laser bullets came up to greet them.

"Shields!" Rozalina shouted, as they both engaged their magic energy shields.

Ludmila had her gun at the ready and began strafing the ground troops as Rozalina opened her bomb bay doors and exposed the high capacity rotary launchers. A stream of welded 100kg bombs rained out of her bomber unit, blanketing the hill with shrapnel and explosives.

Tkachyov had gone back to bed, but when the bombs hit he scrambled to his feet and grabbed his Kalashnikov, running outside to see the fire erupting behind his command post. He held his arms up to shield his face from the intense heat and watched Rozalina roar by with Ludmila launching another strafing round. The bright tracers lit up the night sky, as a buzzing noise echoed through the hills.

"Ivan! Viktor! Where are you?!" Sergey yelled amidst the explosions and gunfire.

1st Platoon commander Viktor Gagarin ran up to the command post, ducking his head to avoid laser bullets and took cover in a ditch as Sergey cautiously peeked around the command center.

"Commander! More enemy troops are approaching! We need to call for reinforcements!" Viktor yelled.

"There are no reinforce-" Sergey began.

Just then, a volley of high caliber energy rounds hit the command center, destroying the radio antenna and knocking Sergey on his face.

"Ay blyaaaa…!" Sergey exclaimed, as the antenna toppled over. He tried to brush the abrasive sand off his face. "There… there are no reinforcements. That was the plan all along."

Viktor stared blankly in disbelief, until another large caliber shell went right past his position. "Oy pizdec…!" He muttered in realization.

On the hilltop across from them, a mobile gun system carrying the lethal 'Jupiter' cannons was peeking over the rocks, aiming the gun barrel right at the 345th.

"There! Enemy Jupiter cannon spotted!" Viktor pointed.

"How observant! And how are we going to tell the witches without a radio?!" Sergey raged, coughing in the dust cloud and pointing to the destroyed antenna.

Viktor searched his utility belts and produced a red smoke grenade, laughing triumphantly. "Commander, we can use smoke to mark their position for the witches!"

"…just how would we get a smoke grenade up there? I don't suppose you can throw that far!" Sergey chuckled nervously.

"No, but Kalashnikov can." Viktor smirked, jamming the grenade into his under barrel grenade launcher and aiming the grenade sight. The desert sand blew across his face, making him flinch a little as particles brushed his eyelashes. There was a distinct 'pop' sound, as the grenade was ejected and flew through the air.

"Tatyana, can you try to raise commander Tkachyov one more time? We have heavy armor incoming to the hill." Valentina urged.

"I can't get through to him, they must've hit the radio station." Tatyana replied.

"Well that's fantastic! Someone needs to tell them to get down so we can protect them!" Valentina seethed.

"Maybe you can yell at them." Tatyana smirked. "…oh, what's this? Red smoke rising from ground forces 3 o'clock on the neighboring hill."

"What is it?" Rozalina asked.

"It's… a Jupiter cannon!" Tatyana realized. "I don't know who fired that, but that's impressive. Marking the target on your HUD."

The Jupiter mobile gun system appeared as a green box on Valentina's heads up display, as she opened her bomb bay doors and revealed the huge rotary launchers inside. She selected a Kh-22 'Kitchen' missile as the rack rotated accordingly for deployment. Valentina neared maximum lockon range, as her targeting reticle slowly locked on to the cannon and turned red with a steady beeping tone.

"Locked on. Fox 3." Valentina announced, as the weighty missile dropped from her bomb bay and extended its stabilizers before igniting the rocket motor. At speeds approaching Mach 4, the Jupiter gun didn't even have time to react as the 6,000-kilogram projectile slammed into the center of mass and exploded.

Sergey and Viktor shielded their faces from the intense heat as the fireball illuminated everything on the hill. For just a moment, they could clearly see the infantry and heavy armor approaching the hilltop. It was now almost 430 hours, and the sun would be coming up any moment along with the convoy. The Teki knew this and charged the front line with all their might.

"Hold your ground! No surrender, shoot to kill!" Tkachyov yelled, as Viktor jumped on the KPV gun mount and opened fire at the incoming wave of troops. Sergey and Ivan joined him with their AK-47's, along with the other riflemen using RPK light machine guns, AK-47's, AK-74's, and the DhSK heavy machine guns.

The witches could see the erupting firefight as the mountain was illuminated with bullets, just as another smoke grenade blossomed on the hillside and marked the heavier armored units.

"Tatyana! Mark all targets around the red smoke!" Rozalina requested.

"Roger, appearing on your HUD now. Take caution, they're getting too close to our frontline for you to use unguided munitions." Tatyana warned.

"Understood." Rozalina responded, selecting the KAB-500KR guided 500kg bomb. The bomb rotated through her weapons racks, as Rozalina closed distance and dropped the guided munition. The fin stabilized bomb whistled through the arid desert, as it slammed into the lead enemy tank which erupted in flames. Rozalina launched four more guided bombs, followed by a strafing run from Ludmila, decimating the remaining armored units.

Tkachyov's riflemen continued shooting, knocking down the lightly armored infantry as fast as they appeared. The hillside had grown quiet, except for the bullets coming from the 345th, as they continued shooting the dead alien bodies.

"Ceasefire! Cease fire!" Tkachyov yelled. "CEASEFIRE DAMMIT!"

The gunfire came to a halt, as Sergey's eyes scanned the desolate scene and the burning tank hulls. The sun was just beginning to come up, its rays peeking over the desert horizon. Tkachyov looked at his watch.

"0500 hours… daybreak." He muttered, as the rumbling of a V-12 diesel engine approached. He spun around just in time to see a T-72A main battle tank rumbling through the Satunkandav Pass, followed by two BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BM-21 Grad and 2S3 Akatsiya artillery pieces, a ZSU-23-4 Shilka, and trucks filled to the brim with ammunition and supplies.

The commander's hatch of the lead T-72 opened, and a smug tanker stuck his closely shaven head out.

"Privyet! Serzhant Pavel Kutakhov at your service. 0500 hours, right on time give or take. We've got your back now, 345th." Pavel smiled.

"Fucking hell…" Sergey laughed. "You just missed the fight."

"Oh I disagree, this fight isn't over just yet. We still have to get the supplies to Khost." Pavel replied.

A few hours later…

As supplies were being unloaded and the sun began to rise, Tatyana noticed a dust storm beginning to form on the horizon.

"This is Krasnaya Luna to Commander Tkachyov, are you aware of the storm moving in on our position from the northeast?" Tatyana asked worriedly.

"…I am now." Tkachyov scowled. "If it isn't the Teki, it's weather… We could get to Khost if we leave now without any delays, but if we get caught in the open all is lost."

"With all due respect Commander, I don't think it's worth risking everything we've fought for like this." Tatyana urged.

"No, it isn't. But our brothers are dying in Khost, and we can't keep them waiting." Tkachyov scratched his chin pensively. "All right, the Bomber Witches will go ahead and scout for any Teki ground forces that might ambush us, and the artillery will stay here with the 345th while the tanks and trucks go ahead to Khost. Is that clear?"

Tatyana sighed loudly. "Yes, sir." She gritted her teeth.

As ordered, Pavel and his tanks moved out with the convoy towards Khost, driving down the winding mountain road and into the open desert. The sandstorm loomed on the horizon, with dark sands whirling about in hurricane-like winds making it impossible to see through. The convoy trundled through the desert, while the Bomber Witches desperately searched for any sign of enemy movement.

"This is horrible…" Ludmila yawned loudly. "Can't we get some rest, Roza?"

"Not just yet…" Rozalina replied weakly. "The nearest airfield happens to be Khost, so… you know what that means. We were never intended to return to Saratov."

"You're kidding." Valentina blinked slowly. "Fuck this, gimme something to kill or I'm going to fall asleep."

"Careful what you wish for, Val." Tatyana warned. "There are some ground contacts within the sandstorm. I can't get an accurate fix on them… the sand is disrupting my radar."

"So, I guess we have to go trolling at low altitude then… We can't let the convoy get hit." Rozalina stated.

"Pavel be advised," Tatyana contacted the convoy. "Enemy contacts detected in the sandstorm. We'll try to pick them off but keep your eyes up and scan on infrared for targets."

"Roger, Krasnaya Luna. Keep us safe from up there." Pavel pleaded.

A volley of laser pulse rounds came out of the sandstorm, heading in the general direction of the convoy and straddling them with impacts. Tatyana saw them on radar for only a moment after they had fired, before they disappeared into the storm again.

"Girls, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that when the Teki fire, we can track their IR heat signature and mark it on radar. The bad news is that once their gun barrels cool down after firing, the signal disappears along with their location." Tatyana advised.

"Well if we can get a general direction going, at least it's something." Rozalina noted the blips on her HUD.

Another volley of pulse fire punched out from the sandstorm, hitting a BMP-2 in the rear guard.

"Blyat! Dimitriy, report your situation. Oy, Dimitriy!" Pavel urged over the radio.

"This is Anton, Shilka anti-air unit. Dimitriy is gone… They hit one of his anti-tank missiles and blew the tank wide open." Anton replied shakily.

"Debils…" Pavel growled. "Henrik, are you still with us?"

"Yes, commander." Henrik responded from the other BMP-2 unit.

"Get on our outside edge and lay a smoke screen. I don't know if they can see through it, but it might buy us some time." Pavel ordered.

"Roger, commander." Henrik radioed. "Oy, you heard the man! Get the ESS running!"

The BMP-2 began injecting fuel directly into the exhaust as they drove alongside Pavel's T-72A, putting up a wall of white, chalky smoke that mixed with the dust from their tracks.

Meanwhile, Rozalina, Valentina, and Ludmila had finished equipping their goggles and oxygen masks to keep sand out of their faces and had flown into the sandstorm maintaining a low altitude just below the storm but only slightly above the terrain. The unforgiving winds tried to push them away, as the girls fought to stay aloft. Ludmila momentarily popped above the ceiling of the massive storm, catching a brief glimpse of the sun as she noticed tracers flying out towards the supply column.

"Got a heat signature, marking it on radar." Ludmila reported. "Straight ahead at heading 015 and moving fast."

"Roger, keep the bearing and tell me when to drop." Rozalina said, selecting unguided bombs in her rotary rack.

"Can't lock on in this weather…" Valentina noted. "What use are all these guided missiles if they get lost in some dust…"

"Focus, Val!" Rozalina warned, staring intently into the sandy wind.

"Another enemy salvo detected, position marked." Ludmila reported. "Roza, drop now!"

Rozalina dropped four FAB 1000kg welded munitions, banking hard to avoid the splash radius and shrapnel. She was rewarded with two more bright explosions on the ground, as Teki armored units were destroyed.

"Got 'em!" Rozalina cheered.

"Now you, Valentina." Ludmila encouraged. "Target to your 11 o'clock, heading 340." She noted, as another volley of fire exited the sandstorm.

"I'm on it." Valentina replied, readying unguided bombs.

Ludmila watched as the contact disappeared, then reappeared as it fired another bright volley of shells. "Now, Val! Hurry before they hit our guys!"

Valentina responded by dropping four more 1000kg bombs, whose explosions were followed by an extremely bright blue explosion. "Ay blyaaaaa…! Ammo detonation!" Valentina cried gleefully.

"Girls, that appears to be all of them, get out of there." Tatyana ordered.

The witches punched out of the sandstorm, taking off their masks promptly. Valentina's had a few holes in it from the bright explosion, which was enough to fill her goggles partially with sand.

"Pheh! Disgusting…" Valentina coughed, brushing sand off her face.

As they flew near the desert road, they were very disappointed to see the fruits of their labor. The supply trucks, along with Henrik's BMP-2 had been shelled into oblivion, unable to continue the journey. Pavel's T-72A had survived, though suffering several minor hits and one penetrating round that killed his gunner. Anton's ZSU-23-4 was the only one that hadn't suffered any notable damage.

"Cyka, blood everywhere…" Pavel groaned, looking pitifully at his worse for wear gunner next to him. "I know you did your best…" Pavel radioed, audibly upset. "But we can't carry all the supplies without the trucks. We'll try to make some sleds and hook them up with tow cables to the ZSU and my T-72, though I estimate we can only salvage half of the supply train at best."

The girls were heartbroken, realizing they had failed their mission.

"But… surely we can send the BM-21's and the Akatsiya to help transport the rest?" Rozalina said thoughtfully.

"The storm will cover the road in the next hour or two, all these supplies will be buried in the sand." Pavel shook his head. "We have to leave now… Anton, you heard me, right?"

"Yes sir… We'll grab what we can and run to Khost. Maybe we can buy the boys another day." Anton radioed.

"After all this, we failed…?" Valentina clenched her fists angrily.

"It is unfortunate, but we went up against an unexpected enemy whose details we were unaware of, and still managed to punch them. That should account for something." Rozalina said, trying to raise morale.

"Hm? Incoming message from HQ." Tatyana interjected. "Pavel and Anton, the artillery on Hill 3234 will support you as you enter Khost, but once the men are relieved, we will send IL-76 transports to evacuate the base."

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this…" Pavel sighed.

"The top brass bit off more than they could chew. You did what you could so don't beat yourself up." Tatyana snapped. "All witches, command had intended for us to rest and re-arm at Khost after it was captured… They did not account for us to return to Saratov given the expected duration of this mission. That said, we can technically still land at Khost, but we face the risk of hostiles in the vicinity." She paused. "Off the record, what would you choose to do?"

"Sleeping with my sidearm in hand beats falling asleep over the Caucasus…" Rozalina rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Ditto." Valentina yawned.

"It's risky, but I'd rather have a chance at surviving rather than a sure death by exhaustion." Ludmila responded.

As Pavel and Anton entered the base, they saw the checkpoint at the entrance and approached. The guard leaned out of his station, as the T-72 drove up and stopped.

"Are you the guys?" The guard asked.

"Yes… what's left of us." Pavel answered.

The guard leaned further out his window and noticed the Shilka behind them, but no other vehicles, and the makeshift supply sleds attached to the tanks.

"Cyka blyat…" He shook his head.

"I know. We got ambushed by Teki in the dust storm. The Witches did their best, but… the supply trucks didn't make it." Pavel admitted. "Can you put the girls up here for the night? Transports are coming in the morning to evacuate all personnel."

"I can put them up here for the night…" The guard began. "But I hope for both our sakes we make it to morning. This whole city is full of enemies right now."

"I know…" Pavel scowled. "But we have to try."

As night fell, Pavel and Anton's crew settled down on the engine decks of their vehicles in sleeping bags, while the Witches were put up in the Officer's Club on sofa's. The dim lights on the base flickered as shelling could be heard in the distance, mixed in with small arms fire, whistling of mortar rounds and shouting. The girls tossed and turned – no matter how sleepy they were, it was difficult to ignore the cries of anguish as Soviet soldiers desperately tried to hold a barricade on the highway exit leading to the airfield. A pair of T-72 tanks sat defiantly behind concrete dividers to hide their vulnerable lower armor plates, while the soldiers took cover behind them with their AK-74M rifles and the 12.7mm NSVT machine guns on the T-72's roof. The girls couldn't help but feel guilty – lying in bed and unable to help their countrymen on the front line.

Eventually morning came, and with it the roar of IL-76's overhead as they descended into Khost. When the Witches awoke to grab their gear and fly back to Saratov, they saw Pavel and Anton's vehicles being loaded into one IL-76 while the rest of the soldiers were seated on the other transport. An air of dismay was all around Khost, and as the girls took off with the transports, they could see Teki armor closing in all around the base.

En route back to the Russian border, they were joined by more IL-76's taking off from forward bases in Afghanistan.

"What's going on here…?" Rozalina puzzled.

"The order came down from Gorbachev. We're leaving Afghanistan…" Tatyana admitted. "This isn't all of us, it's only the first wave of evacuation. What a mistake it was to start a war here…" She lowered her head.

"Too late for regrets." Ludmila snapped. "Though I'm just upset we didn't accomplish our mission."

"Any word on the 9th Company?" Valentine asked worriedly.

"The choppers came back to pick them up. Most of the heavy equipment had to be abandoned or destroyed since they couldn't airlift all of it out. Out of 39 paratroopers, 6 were killed and 28 wounded." Tatyana reported. "The Teki lost a lot more thanks to our air support, but… they'll recover that like its nothing."

"Damn. I can't believe we came this far and failed…" Rozalina cast an angry look behind her at the vast desert.

"We haven't failed yet – I doubt this is the last we'll see of them. Our time for revenge will come, Roza." Ludmila smirked.

Rozalina smiled back, as they flew back across the Russian border to Saratov with the flock of transports behind them.

As they flew off into the sunset, the Teki Nest began to grow as it absorbed abandoned military equipment, and began to move westward leaving a trail of destruction in it's path…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Briefing**

January 14th, 1991, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia

The warm waters of the Indian Ocean were serene as could be, as wave after wave gently rolled along in the currents. Some of the waves began to grow, however, as a row of waves rose out of the water and came cascading onto the sandy beaches of the Diego Garcia Naval Support Facility. This atoll, a mere 30 square kilometers in area was becoming the most crucial US military base in the Indian Ocean, and for a very good reason.

In a war room on Diego Garcia, several naval, military, and air force personnel were all gathered for their latest briefing. At the head of the room, General Norman Schwarzkopf's image was projected upon a canvas screen, broadcasted live on a secure channel from the Pentagon. The lights were dimmed, as he began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen," General Norman boomed. "I speak with you now on behalf of our President George H.W. Bush, regarding the situation in the Middle East." Norman paused, as his aide set up a map of the Middle East and markers corresponding to US armed force divisions. "The Teki have had their way in the Middle East for almost four years now, destroying Afghanistan, Iran, most of Iraq, and now they have invaded the kingdom of Kuwait. I need not remind you that the only reason they haven't pushed further is because of the forces deployed in Operation Desert Shield last August. Because of our deployment along the Saudi north border, we have managed to keep the Teki from advancing south into Saudi Arabia. However, the Teki are also lining up their forces on Kuwait's southern border, as well as a heavy defense along their coastline to repel any amphibious invasion from the Persian Gulf. With every passing day, more Teki are being produced in a super Nest that has migrated in from the Afghanistan crash site and set up a permanent residence in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad. As it stands, we are outnumbered by a 5:2 ratio already – if they continue to send reinforcements down Highway 80 from Baghdad, that number will triple within the month. Next chart, please." Schwarzkopf said, as his aide flipped to the next chart.

"The time has finally come for action. The first step towards liberating Kuwait will be to carry out a long-range strike against enemy logistical facilities in southern Iraq and around Baghdad. If the ground forces are to succeed, we must first gain tactical superiority over the Teki. A fleet of B-52 bombers in Barksdale AFB, Louisiana will fly across the Atlantic to the Middle East, with the help of several aerial refueling squadrons, and carry out long-range cruise missile strikes against the enemy's facilities. The first wave of missiles will include ADM-141 TALD decoy missiles, to trick the surface-to-air missile (SAM) and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) sites into firing and revealing their locations. Once the defense sites open up, F-4G 'Wild Weasel' aircraft will come in low from King Abdulaziz AFB and clear out the enemy air defense systems so the B-52's can fire their actual cruise missiles at enemy Combat Information Center's (CIC), communication relays and power stations before turning back home. Long range bombers based here in Diego Garcia will also be used to support the assault, before attacking bridges and tunnels on Highway 80, which is a major 6 lane interstate between Baghdad and Kuwait City which the Teki have been using to move troops. All bridges and routes from Iraq running south into Kuwait must be destroyed if we are to prevent reinforcements from reaching Kuwait City, and all forms of communication must be severed to deny them an opportunity for counterattack." Norman stated.

"For the ground war, our satellite intelligence has revealed that the Teki forces outnumber ours by a 5:2 ratio, yes, but they have not aligned as many forces to their western borders with the Saudi desert, as most of their troops are concentrated on the southern border and the eastern coastline. We shall exploit this, as the US VII Corps consisting of units from 1st Infantry Division, 1st Armored Division, UK 1st Armored Division, 2nd Armored Division (FWD), 3rd Armored Division, 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and 1st Squadron 4th Cavalry Regiment will advance north into Iraq just west of the Kuwaiti border, before turning east and attacking the enemy right flank. Using GPS guidance, the tanks will sweep across the desert and attack the Teki positions from the west where they are less heavily deployed. When the 1st and 3rd Armored Divisions reach Kuwait's western border and break through their flank, the 2nd Armored Division 'Hell On Wheels' will drive north across the southern border accompanied by the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions, 1st Cavalry Division, and other units from the VII Corps into southern Kuwait. As far as ground logistics go, we have set up enough several military resupply bases along the Saudi border, so that if the campaign should bog down, we have enough food, ammunition, water and other supplies to last us a minimum of 60 days. Next chart please." Norman stopped once more, as his aide turned to the next chart.

"Concerning the Navy, Battle Force Zulu will make its way up into the Persian Gulf, including CV-66 USS America, CV-61 USS Ranger, CVN-71 USS Theodore Roosevelt, and CV-41 USS Midway. They will serve as a major hub for our attack aircraft, to complement the air forces already at Dhahran AFB on the Saudi coast. Once the northern waters of the Persian Gulf have been swept by our mine clearing ships, the refitted BB-63 USS Missouri and BB-64 USS Wisconsin of the Iowa class battleships will cross the Atlantic, transit the Suez Canal, and take part in a major feint at an amphibious landing. We will not be landing on the Kuwaiti coastline, but we want the Teki to think that we are. To do this, the Missouri and Wisconsin will be providing round the clock fire support with their 16-inch main battery and Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets further inland, while a decoy force attempts to land at the beach and get their attention. Should the Teki counterattack the decoy force, the Missouri and Wisconsin will provide fire support to protect them, along with close air support from Battle Force Zulu in the Gulf." Norman stopped once more to take a sip of water, while his aide turned to the last chart.

"In light of recent developments, President Gorbachev of the Soviet Union has offered us assistance by allowing Bomber Witches of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division to join our American based Bomber Witches of the 9th Joint Strike Force. This is a tremendous advantage to us, as the 22nd has already fought these Teki firsthand in Afghanistan and can provide significant military insight to us."

"Furthermore, the Teki have captured multiple mobile ballistic missile systems, codenamed 'Scud,' which the Iraqi's purchased from the Soviet Union before the Teki swept through. Suspicious activity was detected two days ago along the Iraqi border with Jordan, and we received a report that the Israeli 'Iron Dome' AA defense system activated when it picked up a Scud missile entering their airspace and shot it down. Additionally, I regret to inform you that twenty-eight members of the Pennsylvania National Guard were killed this morning, when another Scud struck a US Army barracks in Dharhan, Saudi Arabia."

"But this does not weaken our resolve – the last major deployment of troops will be arriving at the Saudi border within the next two days. President Bush has ordered that if no sign of surrender is displayed by January 17th at midnight, we are authorized to use any and all means necessary to liberate Kuwait, remove all offensive capabilities of the Teki, and eliminate the Teki Nest in Baghdad, which will be referred to here on out as High Value Target One, or 'HVT1.' This won't be like Vietnam – we shall strike swift and hard to gain victory over our adversaries. After January 17th, Operation Desert Shield will end, and Operation Desert Storm will commence. Godspeed to you all."

Among the many generals, commanders, and officers in the room, there was one girl that stood out from the rest of them all. Amidst her pale white skin and raven black hair, a pair of purple eyes were fixated on Schwarzkopf's image with the ferocity of a war hawk. The now thirty-nine-year-old naval XO Kurosawa Aiko had now been officially promoted to Captain of CV-41 USS Midway. Considering her acts of bravery during Vietnam and Captain Larry Chambers' retirement from the Navy, the half-Japanese half-American daughter of Bill Halsey had now attained command of the veteran aircraft carrier Midway and was ready to lead her crew into the Persian Gulf.

"Kurosawa." A voice called out to her as the meeting was adjourned.

Kurosawa turned towards the voice and was surprised that it belonged to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Kelso.

"Admiral Kelso…! Sir!" Aiko saluted obediently.

"At ease." Kelso waved dismissively. "I have a proposition for you – I'm sure you're equally aware as I am that this may be the Midway's last tour of active combat."

"Yes sir. I'm aware of that." Aiko toned down, looking downcast.

"Well then, if you will accept the offer, I'd like to make the USS Midway the flagship for Battle Force Zulu and our naval operations during Desert Storm." Kelso smiled. "Seeing as the Midway also still has equipment for launching and recovering Bomber Witches, it seems we should put it to good use, wouldn't you agree?"

Tears swelled up in Kurosawa's eyes, as she grabbed Admiral Kelso's hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Yes sir, oh thank you thank you thank you so much, sir!" Suddenly she remembered her place, and regained composure as she saluted him properly. "…I mean, it would be my honor Admiral Kelso."

"That's what I like to hear." Kelso chuckled a little. "I recommend you go over to the air base and meet the Bomber Witches, since they'll be staying on Midway for most of the operation."

"Absolutely, sir!" Kurosawa held her salute. "Thank you, sir!" She marched awkwardly out of the room, and a shrill cry of glee could be heard as she turned the corner.

Kurosawa opened the door, using her gloved hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight. Outside the white-walled corridors of the naval complex, one might never imagine that Diego Garcia could be a base of operations. Crystal blue waters splashed against the resupply ships in the lagoon, and foamy waves from outside the base crashed tumultuously against the beaches. Palm trees swayed in the warm Indian Ocean breeze, as Kurosawa held on to her hat tightly. She approached a military Humvee that was waiting for her and got in as the driver took her to the other end of the island. The Humvee rumbled along the rough beach road as they went around the southern tip of Diego Garcia to the airfield, which was dominated by two 12,000ft (3.7km) long runways lying in parallel to each other. Aiko dismounted, thanked the driver, and proceeded into the Air Force barracks.

The barracks was a very large building housing most of the Air Force personnel, and suddenly Kurosawa felt very lost.

"Excuse me, where can I find the Bomber Witches?" She politely asked a passing private.

"Oh, the 9th JSF?" The private inquired. "Keep going down the hallway, take a left at the end, and turn right through the door. Can't miss it."

"Thank you." Kurosawa offered her thanks and followed the corridor exactly as she was told. But the last door she was told to go through led her outside, to a smaller Quonset hut near the hangars. She scratched her head in confusion.

"This can't be right…" Aiko wondered, approaching and knocking on the front door. As she waited for a response, she looked around the hut and noticed there was indeed a 9th JSF roundel near the door, and a small wooden decoration that read, 'Home Sweet Home.'

There was a sound of rapid footsteps before the door opened, and Aiko was greeted by a 17-year-old girl with blonde hair tied up in a bun with a French braid going back across the middle of her hair, and side swept bangs that playfully danced in the breeze. She was wearing a light blue flight suit with patches of dark blue hexagonal patterns. Her cobalt blue eyes locked onto Aiko's, growing wide as saucers as she looked her up and down.

"N-n-no way…! Captain Kurosawa!" The girl's jaw dropped as she remembered her place and saluted, motioning something behind her back to the other girls. "Won't you come inside? We were just about to have some snacks and tea."

"Well if you insist, excuse me then…" Kurosawa said, stepping inside the hut. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was surprised at how deceptively small the hut was from the outside, and how spacious it was internally. A row of ceiling fans spun lazily overhead, accompanied by electric lanterns suspended with chains. There were several rows of military bunks with dark green blankets tucked neatly around them and metal trunks at the ends, various wooden desks for paperwork processing, a VHF radio set, and a couple of simple folding chairs around a card table.

"Oh, how rude of me… I'm Captain Michelle Walker, 97th Bombardment Group." The blonde girl said, smoothing out her light blue flight suit. "I fly the B-52G Stratofortress s/n 59-2594, callsign 'Memphis Belle III.' I'm equipped with a Browning .50 caliber M45 Quadmount, M117 750lb LDGP (Low Drag General Purpose) bombs, Mk.82 Snakeye air retarded bombs, and AGM-86C CALCM (Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile) equipped with a 1,362kg conventional warhead, and infrared flares. My familiar is the Grey Fox, and my special ability is called 'Faceless Soldier,' which utilizes special panels on my unit and flight suit to mask my radar signature and then strike the enemy where they least expect. It also allows me to launch ADM-141 TALD (Tactical Air Launched Decoy) missiles as well to confuse the enemy." Michelle chirped.

Behind Michelle lounging on one of the bunks was a brown eyed girl with boyishly short blonde hair, wearing her beige flight suit as she munched on an orange popsicle.

"Oh, introductions?" She asked, cleaning the orange ice off the wooden stick and tossing it into the trash bin with one move. "I'm 2nd Lt. Janine Rehl, 23rd Air Force, based out of Scott AFB, Illinois. I fly the AC-130H Spectre gunship unit callsign 'Marine's Dream,' and I'm equipped with an M102 105mm howitzer that can fire HE (high explosive), HEAT (high explosive, anti-tank), and white phosphorous smoke rounds, and I also have infrared flares. My familiar is the Californian Condor, and my special ability is 'Shoot To Thrill,' which allows me to sustain a higher rate of fire for a few minutes, with increased recoil suppression for better accuracy. Of course, that means I'll blow through my ammo a lot faster." She scratched her head nervously.

Next to Janine was a girl with short black hair that had side swept bangs and a bright purple streak running through it. Aside from her choice to wear a partly open, close-fitting black flight suit over her impressive figure, the only other unique feature of hers were a pair of fuchsia colored eyes adorned with black eyeshadow and the purple lipstick that she sported. She stopped chewing on the piece of hot cinnamon gum in her mouth for a moment. "Always blowing your load too early, they should call you – Oh, I guess it's my turn." She muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Lisa! Kurosawa is a Captain!" Michelle admonished. "She commanded CTF 77 in the Vietnam War."

"And I'm 2nd Lt. Lisa Capewell." Lisa ignored Michelle, jerking her head a little to lift her bangs away from her eyes. "AC-130A Pave Pronto s/n 54-1630, callsign 'Azrael' from the 919th Special Operations Group, Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, also known as Duke Field, Florida. I'm equipped with the M61 Vulcan 20mm Gatling gun, and flares so I mainly just do infantry close air support. My familiar is the Griffon Vulture, and my special ability is '7734,' which allows me to separate the soul from my enemy with my scythe attacks." She made a slicing gesture across her neck with one finger.

"Lisa, you're scaring the Captain. Cut it out." Janine started unwrapping another popsicle.

"Tch." Lisa scoffed, returning to her reclining position.

"Please excuse her." A voice said, as a telescopic pointer stick came out of nowhere and rapped Lisa sharply on the head.

"Ow! Tiffany, buzz off!" Lisa growled.

The distinctly posh British girl spoke once again. "Maybe when you learn some manners, that can be arranged. My apologies." Tiffany turned to face Kurosawa, flexing the pointer stick with her fingertips. Her long brunette hair was very wavy and beautiful, and she had curiously neon green eyes that looked like the display of a radar monitor. Her royal blue flight suit had a Union Jack patch on her arm, further verifying her British origin.

"I'm Lt. Col. Tiffany Evans, No.8 Squadron out of RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. I fly the E-3D Sentry AWACS unit under the callsign 'Apex Eye,' having trained in the AWACS special initiative program which was ignited by Lt. Olivia Sears in the Vietnam War. I'm equipped with a prototype railgun based off the Anzio Ironworks 20mm rifle, as well as a Westinghouse AN/APY-1 radar array capable of detecting targets at up to 250 miles (400km) for low flying contacts, and 400 miles (650km) for medium and high-altitude contacts. I also have a CIC (command and information center) suite, satellite uplink capabilities to share combat data with allies, and ECCM (electronic counter-counter measures) for electronic warfare purposes. My familiar is the Common Crane, and my special ability is 'Full Drive,' which allows me to temporarily increase the charge per shot for my railgun, increasing the range and penetrating power of the tungsten core projectiles."

"Wow, now I could use a glass of water." Kurosawa muttered weakly.

"I get it, she talks her ass off all the time. Though I guess it is her job." Janine made a sly grin and shrugged. "After all, we wouldn't know where or who the enemy is without her."

Before Tiffany could make a comment, Michelle handed Aiko a glass of ice water with lemon, and she very gratefully sipped the frigid beverage. Just then, there was the sound of a large piece of metal dropping on the floor, and Kurosawa shrieked a little, before her sights settled on a girl tinkering with the VFH radio set.

"Uh… Hi. I wasn't expecting company, please pardon the mess…" The girl smiled nervously, picking up her crescent wrench from the floor.

"And you are?" Kurosawa looked her up and down.

The girl by the radio set had light pink hair tied in a ponytail with a large red ribbon, and side bangs that were tied into a bundle on either side of her hair. She wore bright orange coveralls with the top half undone and tied around her waist, exposing the white tank top she was wearing underneath it. A few oil stains dirtied her coveralls, as she fidgeted nervously. "My name is Andromeda. Err…"

"Andromeda? Andromeda what?" Kurosawa echoed.

Seeing that Andromeda was a bit flustered, Michelle jumped in. "Andromeda doesn't really know who her parents are. She was an orphan abandoned in Tucson, Arizona as an infant and was rescued by a mechanic from Davis-Monthan AFB. The only things she had were the clothes on her back, and a dog tag necklace with 'Andromeda' inscribed on it. She didn't feel comfortable taking her foster father's name, but when she joined the Air Force later in life it was a real nightmare to process her paperwork." Michelle scratched the back of her head nervously.

"You're not the one that had to do it." Tiffany retorted crossly.

"It's as she says; Andromeda is my only given name." Andromeda spoke up, as everyone turned to look at her. "Growing up, I worked with my foster father at Davis-Monthan scavenging old plane hulks to repair the ones in service, and I discovered my instinctive ability to repair aircraft and radios. …Anyway, I fly the C-5B Galaxy transport unit under the callsign 'Mother Goose One.' Unlike all the other girls, I'm equipped with a rivet gun, an arc welder, spare parts, ammunition stores, and flares. My only weapons capability consists of an M24A-1 20mm autocannon, and the BLU-82 'Daisy Cutter,' which is a 15,000lb (6,800kg) demolition bomb filled with GSX Slurry water-gel explosives, which when combined with a 38-inch (970mm) fuse extender allows it to detonate just above ground level and flatten everything in a 900ft (300m) radius to clear out helicopter landing zones, emplacement sites for artillery, etc. Of course, it can be used like any other free-fall bomb as an offensive weapon. My familiar is the Greylag Goose, and my special ability is 'Handful of Hope,' which allows me to carry and repair another magical unit in midair or on the ground."

"What's all the noise?" A sleepy voice was heard from the bunk at the end of the hut. A small girl emerged from under the bedsheets, with her long brownish-red hair quite frazzled due to bedhead. Some of her hair hung over the right side of her face, barely covering her dark blue eyes as they scanned around the room. Upon seeing Kurosawa, she quickly got up, donned her Air Force grey flight suit, made her bed, and stood at attention once finished. "Reporting, Captain Lacey Coffey, B-1B Lancer s/n 85-0075 callsign 'Dakota Demolition' out of Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota." She said in a rather sleepy and emotionless voice, rubbing her eyes. "Let's see… I'm equipped with the Oerlikon KBA 25mm autocannon, Mk.82 Snakeye air retarded bombs for low-level bombing, GBU-12 Paveway II guided penetration bombs, and flares. My familiar is the domestic black cat, and my special ability is '1812,' which increases my engine power and forward shield energy for charging into heavily defended airspace."

"Are there… any more of you?" Kurosawa asked in exasperation.

"There's four more, but they're on patrol exercise. There's also the Russian girls from the 22nd but they're coming in from Engels AFB up north to meet us in Saudi Arabia." Tiffany answered.

"I see. Well, just for the sake of clarity, I'm Captain Kurosawa Aiko of USS Midway, which I'm informed will be the flagship of Battle Force Zulu for this operation." Aiko announced.

"Well we will look forward to serving with you Captain, but first, would you like to join us for refreshments?" Tiffany asked.

"Are there any more popsicles?" Janine asked.

"No… You ate the last one." Tiffany's face wrinkled a little in frustration.

"Bugger." Janine chewed on the popsicle stick.

"You could stand to hold off on the sugar anyway, we've got a long flight to Jordan tomorrow." Tiffany retorted. "Pack your gear, we move out first thing in the morning, and Midway is going to be our home for a while. We'll be in your care, Captain." Tiffany nodded to Kurosawa.

"Indeed. We still have Bomber Unit launch and retrieval gear from the previous war, but I assure you it has been updated to be compatible with modern units." Kurosawa informed.

"Why a carrier? Why not take off from Dharhan?" Lacey pouted.

Instead of answering directly, Tiffany pulled out the base newspaper detailing the Scud strike in Dharhan. "This is why. After careful analyzation we know the Scud missile system is only capable of hitting static targets – much like a long-range artillery."

"And unlike a static air base, the Midway will continue maneuvers in the Gulf with Battle Force Zulu, maneuvering as necessary to avoid predictable routes." Kurosawa told them. "Besides, we can't really afford to lose any of you."

"Oh, so _now _we're important?" Lisa asked satirically.

"Stow it." Tiffany ordered.

"I did wonder about that." Kurosawa ventured, looking around the Quonset hut. "Why the isolation?"

"It's always been this way." Michelle sighed. "Humans are afraid of things they don't understand – in their eyes, the only way they can come to terms is by treating us purely as weapons. Even in the Second World War, the 8th JSF was kept in a church on the other side of the airfield, away from the regular barracks. You could just call it old habits, but it's also a way of saying, 'You're not one of us.'"

"Even so, the Bomber Witches have proven themselves in every major conflict." Kurosawa noted. "Even if I'm an outlier, I have faith in you girls."

The witches smiled back warmly, as the light fixtures glow began to tremble about the room.

"Oh?" Tiffany's ears perked up. "They're back early."

"Ah, it seems you will get to meet all of us." Andromeda looked out the window.

The front door swung open, as four girls walked in. The first was a girl with sandy blonde hair neatly tied up in a military bun, wearing a beige flight suit and boots. Her face had some slightly red areas, where it seemed she had patches of Rosacea, which wasn't helped by the protective helmet she wore in combat. Her brown eyes looked around the room curiously.

"Aloha, my little chickadees!" The girl laughed heartily.

"What." Lacey frowned, her eyes darkening. "Who's little, Nichole? Tell me."

"Ah, sorry Lacey. I didn't mean it like that." Nichole rubbed the back of her neck nervously, before noticing Kurosawa. "Ah, you must be Captain Kurosawa!" Nichole changed the subject. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Senior Airman Nichole Campbell from Honolulu, Hawaii, and I fly an A-10A unit under the callsign 'Lady Liberty.' I'm equipped with the 30mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon, Mk.40 Folding Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) rocket pods, Mk.83 1000lb unguided bombs, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, the AN/AAS-35 Pave Penny targeting pod, and flares. My familiar is the English Bulldog, and my ability is 'Glorious Aggressor,' which increases my frontal shielding power and allows me to repair minor battle damage."

There was another girl behind her with golden brown skin, a black ponytail tied with a light blue scrunchie, and brown eyes that hid behind her red rectangular glasses. She wore a patch of an eagle on her metal grey camo flight suit, which had the Sanskrit words 'Swa Bhuwana Paksa' written on it, translating to 'Wings of the Motherland.'

"I'm 1st Lt. Harriet Merpati, Indonesian Air Force pilot. I fly the AV-8B Harrier unit, which was built under license from the United Kingdom, under my callsign 'Edger.' I'm equipped with the GAU-12 Equalizer 25mm chain gun, AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM), AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, Mk.40 FFAR pods, and flares. My familiar is the Great Horned Owl, and my ability is 'Counterstrike,' which allows me to immediately turn and counter an incoming attack."

The third girl standing in the doorway had long, wavy light brunette hair, grey-blue eyes, and wore an olive drab flight suit with safety harness around it, a white pilot helmet with sliding polarized visor, an emergency personal flotation device (PFC) around her neck, and olive drab flight gloves.

"I'm Tech Sgt. Louise Beringer," She saluted. "Royal Netherlands Air Force. I fly the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter unit under the callsign 'Sea Goblin-'"

"_Helicopter?_" Aiko echoed. "How did you keep up with an A-10 and a Harrier?"

"Easy, I'm Dutch." Louise smiled bluntly.

"That… that doesn't make any sense." Aiko stared blankly.

Louise laughed. "I do search and rescue, I don't actually engage in direct strikes, only in Close Air Support (CAS) when the AA is cleared out, if anything, and anti-submarine sorties. I'm equipped with a Mk.44 Bushmaster II 30mm mod.0 chain gun which is primarily designed for Rapid Airborne MIne Clearance System (RAMICS), but I also carry standard AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, Mk.54 torpedoes, AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missiles, flares, and an Infrared Counter-Measure System (IRCM). My familiar is the Orange Tabby Cat, and my special ability is '9-Line,' which allows me to lift heavy payloads like downed Bomber Witches or damaged Tank Witches out of the battle zone."

Finally, the last girl took off her targeting helmet revealing a beautiful head of amber blonde hair in a triple braided updo. Her purple eyes shone like the northern lights, and she also sported a very impressive chest which was only kept in by her royal blue flight suit embroidered with the Union Jack on her arm.

"Capt. Rachel Bennett at your service, but you can call me 'TB,'" She articulated in a prestigious British accent. "I fly the F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 of the 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing – formerly known as No. 121 Eagle Squadron of the RAF Station Narborough. I'm equipped with a 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling gun, four of the AIM-9M Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM's), hardpoints for four AIM-7 Sparrow Semi-Active Air-to-air Missiles (SAAM's) or five GBU-10 Paveway II guided bombs depending on the mission, the AN/AAQ-13 Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting InfraRed for Night (LANTIRN) laser targeting pod, two 2,800L (750 gal) conformal drop tanks to extend my range, and flare launchers. My familiar is the English Foxhound, and my special attack is 'Avalon,' which allows me to guide high volumes of Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SSM's) or Long range Air-to-Surface Missiles (LASM's) fired by other units onto a designated target, regardless of radar lock. However, this requires me to keep the target lit until impact to ensure a precise hit, which puts immense stress on my processing capacity and reduces my shield power."

"Tell 'em why you're called 'TB.'" Louise nudged Rachel.

"Oh, yes." Rachel flustered. "The 'TB' actually stands for 'Testosterone Booster,' since every man I've ever met has tried to hit on me, even though I'm not very good with men."

"Well, I'd say you're all more than fit for combat. I look forward to seeing you all on the Midway soon enough." Kurosawa laughed weakly.

"Which is a polite way of saying she's tired of us." Janine snickered.

"Already?" Lisa gasped satirically.

"Girls." Tiffany's eyebrows furrowed. "Start packing, that's an order. I'll drive the Captain back to her ship. When I get back, you'd better have finished with your chores as well. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am…" They all answered reluctantly.

"Good. Your personal belongings will be loaded onto the Midway, and then we'll head up to the Jordanian border tomorrow for our mission." Tiffany concluded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Operation Secret Squirrel**

January 15th, 1991, 0500 hours

The sun had not even risen on the Middle Eastern horizon, as the Bomber Witches proceeded towards the rendezvous point at the Jordanian-Iraqi border. They looked out past the Iraqi border, seeing nothing but sand that stretched over the horizon.

"I don't like sand." Janine muttered jokingly.

"Janine, shut up." Lisa snapped.

"Not in the mood?" Janine giggled, chewing on a popsicle stick.

"I'll turn you into a sand witch if you try that again." Lisa said ominously.

"Comms." Tiffany ordered. "I will now be issuing an in-flight briefing with the latest details. Coalition recon planes have designated eight Early Warning Radar (EWR) sites in the path of our B-52 bombers, accompanied by long range SAM sites, AAA guns, and a communications center. If the B-52's are picked up on Teki radar, they'll get knocked out of the sky by the AA defenses, so it's up to us to take out all radar sites simultaneously so as not to raise the alarm. The communications center must also be neutralized – otherwise the Teki will have interceptors on our tails within minutes notice. Once the radar and communications are silenced, the B-52's will volley fire CALCM's across the Iraqi border at eight logistical sectors in and around Baghdad including military communication relays, radio transmitting towers, and power generating stations, which will deny their ability to communicate and raise a counterattack. Remember that this mission's success will make the next one much easier, so take aim carefully and try not to drop anything on civilian sectors. If we encounter their fighters, the 4th TFW is operating in the vicinity so we may call on them for assistance."

"This is the flight lead of the 596th Bombardment Squadron out of Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. All planes sound off." The lead radioed.

"Petie 3rd, standing by."

"Grim Reaper II, standing by."

"Miami Clipper II, standing by."

"Miss Fit II, standing by."

"Valkyrie, standing by."

"El Lobo II, standing by."

"Roger that, all wings are present and accounted for. Allied AWACS, I have entered your airspace jurisdiction, please confirm." The lead requested.

"Acknowledged 596th. You boys have had quite the flight over, as I understand." Tiffany said thoughtfully.

"Estimated 35 hours round trip, thanks to the refueling squadrons. Don't know what we'd do without 'em." The lead chuckled. "Is the attack corridor clear yet?"

"Negative, the 9th JSF is preparing to destroy the EWR sites." Tiffany replied.

"Copy that. Our orders say the first wave will be ADM-141 TALD decoys – once we're past the EWR line the decoys should lure their AA network into firing, making it much easier to find and destroy them." The lead informed.

"Roger that. Continuing with the mission, please hold outside the AO until we give you the signal." Tiffany ordered.

"Yes ma'am – we don't have all the fuel in the world though, so please do your best." The lead urged.

The Bomber Witches flew lazily across the arid desert, as they arrived just outside of the EWR's maximum detection range. The radar appeared on their HUD's as dense red orbs.

"Hey, just want to remind you all." Harriet piped up. "The enemy's radar will have more difficulty targeting you at lower altitude, especially due to terrain masking. If you can, try to maintain altitude 120."

"Did you forget a zero somewhere?" Michelle asked in shock.

"No, I didn't. The tallest ground obstacle in this sector should be no more than 100m, so 120 will give you plenty of breathing space." Harriet answered.

Michelle sighed loudly.

"B-1 was born for low level penetration missions." Lacey grinned proudly.

"Stow it." Michelle grumbled.

It was still early in the morning, and very dark, so Tiffany ordered all the witches to switch to night vision. The witches had been divided into two main groups for the sake of the operation: Alpha team was comprised of Janine, Lisa, Nichole, Harriet, Lacey and Rachel, while Bravo team had Michelle, Louise, and Andromeda.

"Listen up, this will be our order of battle." Tiffany ordered. "You'll be split into two groups, team Alpha will have Janine, Lisa, Nichole, Harriet, Lacey and Rachel, while Bravo team will have Michelle, Louise, and Andromeda. Bravo team will stay back and watch over the B-52's while Alpha team destroys any anti-air units that open up on the decoys. Harriet, you have the advantage here with your AGM-88 HARM missiles, but always verify target before firing – AGM-88 isn't perfect and we cannot afford any friendly fire."

"Understood." Harriet acknowledged.

The witches picked out their targets, and while Bravo team stayed back with the B-52's, Alpha team surged across the desert floor at low altitude.

"Ugh… I can feel sand getting into my intake." Nichole grumbled.

"Bear with it, island princess." Harriet chuckled. "We're coming up on the radar sites now."

"It might be too late to ask, but how will we destroy eight radar sites with six witches, especially when two of us are gunships?" Janine asked thoughtfully.

"Cruise missiles." Harriet replied. "Michelle can manually guide them to keep close to the ground and thereby evade radar detection. Current missile guidance isn't capable of terrain masking – perks of being a witch."

"All units, synchronize your watches now." Tiffany ordered. "Michelle, make sure you calculate flight time for your missiles and advance your watch accordingly."

"Understood." Michelle affirmed, doing some quick math in her head. "It will take about five minutes for the missiles to arrive. They can reach up to Mach 0.73, so you'll have to keep up. Final calculations complete, bomb bay doors are open." Michelle announced.

"Fire." Tiffany ordered.

"Fox three! Fox three!" Michelle called out as four AGM-86C CALCM's dropped from her internal weapons bay and streaked across the arid sky. She watched on radar as they neared Alpha team's positions, and Alpha team accelerated accordingly.

"Remember, all ordnance must arrive simultaneously to achieve surprise." Tiffany reminded them.

"Roger that. Jan and Lisa, hang back – we've got this. We'll call you in when it's time to clean up." Nichole waved cheerily.

"Tch." Lisa scoffed.

"Let it go, Lisa." Janine sighed, patting her on the back.

Nichole, Harriet, Lacey and Rachel raced across the desert floor, just barely ahead of Michelle's CALCM's as they neared the radar sites.

"All units select your weapons and acquire targets. We won't get a second chance, so make it count." Nichole ordered, selecting an AGM-65 Maverick.

"Affirmative." Harriet replied, targeting her radar site with an AGM-88 HARM.

"Understood." Lacey said sleepily as she armed a GBU-12 Paveway II.

"Roger that." Rachel chirped as she also armed a GBU-10 Paveway II.

"I'll begin the countdown for the attack in thirty seconds." Tiffany dictated.

"Sorry, let me clarify - we need to match up the timing of the destruction, not our firing, right?" Lacey asked lethargically.

"Of course, just perform like normal and you'll be fine." Rachel smiled warmly.

"Get ready, the fun is about to start ladies." Tiffany warned. "Ten seconds."

"This is where the fun begins." Nichole smirked mischievously, as she flew neck and neck with the CALCM's.

"Five, four, three, two, one, NOW!" Tiffany commanded.

At that same time, the eight EWR sites were simultaneously engulfed in flames from cruise missiles, bombs, and gunfire as they were razed to the ground.

"Synchronized attack was successful." Tiffany sighed with relief. "Nice work, girls."

"Hey Lisa! Jan! Get up here, the party is starting!" Nichole laughed cheerfully.

"I hardly noted anything to be excited about." Lisa frowned, pointing at the AAA sites which had seen the explosions and were traversing their way. A flurry of gunfire raced towards the witches, who were too far away to be hit significantly.

"Incoming fire! Also, enemy radio station detected!" Rachel realized. "Nichole, can you get an AGM-65 in there and shut down their communications?"

"Easy as pie." Nichole licked her lips, firing the missile at an enemy transmission tower. One moment it was there, the next it was nothing but a mangled pile of steel.

"They can't call for backup, let's clean house ladies!" Nichole led the charge, firing a few more AGM-65's at enemy SAM sites and following up with her 30mm Avenger. There was a distinct 'BRRRRT' sound that could be heard all throughout the AO as a whole lane of Teki were ripped to shreds.

Lisa and Jan began their pylon turns around the defensive positions, firing multiple 105mm HE rounds and bursts of 20mm Gatling fire at the Teki below. One of the SAM's targeted Janine and got a missile off to intercept her, and she could hear the growling tone of her incoming missile warning as it closed.

"Missile incoming! Launching flares and chaff!" Jan rolled out her pylon turn and descended, unleashing a cloud of bright burning flares and aluminum bits of chaff from the wings of her gunship unit. The missile flew into the cloud of debris and detonated, missing Janine by a fair margin. "Phew!" Janine sighed, stabilizing as she returned to her fire mission.

Just then, Lacey and Rachel flew over the enemy position, unleashing a pinpoint strike with their Paveway II guided bombs, and the enemy guns went silent.

Nichole looked around and surveyed the damage. "…that should be most of them. AWACS, can you confirm from up there?"

"Confirmed, enemy defensive positions silenced and firing corridor has been opened. 596th, prepare to fire on my command." Tiffany ordered.

"Understood, opening bomb bay doors." The B-52 leader announced as the massive bomb bay doors of the B-52's swung open, revealing what looked like a revolver's cylinder except it was loaded with cruise missiles instead of bullets.

"Zero hour in five, four, three, two, one, commence attack!" Tiffany commanded, as a wave of ADM-141 decoys streaked out of the B-52's and across the Jordanian-Iraqi border.

The sky lit up with Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) and mobile Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft (SPAA) tracers as the Teki in the logistical sectors frantically tried to shoot down the incoming contacts.

Tiffany marked the new ground contacts in the area on their Heads Up Displays (HUD). They appeared as square, neon green boxes on the ground as Harriet readied her AGM-88 missiles and targeted the radar arrays. The missile flew off her pylons and homed in on the enemy radar signal until they destroyed the antennas.

Michelle prepared her CALCM's, as her headset filled with the eerie growl of missile lock on warnings. "Whoa… it's like every SAM in southern Iraq is looking at us…" She grumbled.

"Enemy radar is down; they have to rely on visual targeting now." Harriet announced. "Campbell and Beringer, clean up the AA."

"Yes ma'am!" Nichole smirked gleefully as AGM-65 Maverick missiles roared off her weapons pylons and she prepared her 30mm GAU-8 Avenger. Her four missiles each struck their targets, as she closed in on a fifth and strafed it with her rotary cannon. There was a distinct 'BRRRRT' sound that ripped through skies as the AA site was decimated by her gunfire.

"Nice one, Nichole." Louise smiled, her helicopter blades stirring up the desert sands as she fired a volley of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles at the remaining AA sites and finished off the last one with her 30mm chain gun.

"596th, you are cleared to fire CALCM's." Tiffany commanded.

"Roger, firing now. Clear the firing corridor." The flight lead requested, as they prepared to deploy the cruise missiles. As the witches moved out of the way, thirty-five CALCM's were fired from the B-52's and streaked across the Iraqi desert towards their designated targets. The ground began to shake as military communication relays, radio transmitting towers, and power generating stations were engulfed in flames. The 596th saluted the witches as they turned for the long trip home, waving their massive wings as they turned west.

"That really says something, that they can fly here from Louisiana and back…" Michelle said wistfully.

"Yeah, but witches need rest and you don't really have a copilot." Lacey yawned. "Speaking of, are we done here AWACS?"

"Not quite." Tiffany frowned. "I just received a transmission from the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing further east – they were assigned to find and kill a group of mobile SCUD launchers, but the enemy took refuge in a popup sandstorm and disappeared. We've now been ordered to find and destroy the SCUD's. They weren't far from the border, which means they can hit Dhahran from their last known position."

"Jeez. Why would the Soviets sell SCUD's to Iraq anyway?" Janine grumbled.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. They're in Teki hands, and they have to be destroyed." Lisa retorted.

The witches headed east on vector 095 until they encountered twenty-four of the 4th TFW's F-15E Strike Eagles.

"This is Major Bill Polowitzer of the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 4th TFW to AWACS Apex Eye. Thank you for answering our support request."

"Of course, Major Polowitzer. We've finished our objective for today and still have some ammo remaining." Tiffany responded.

"Course you do." Polowitzer laughed heartily. "I'm told you Bomber Witches are pretty good at what you do."

"Major Polowitzer, sir. It's good to be flying with you again." Rachel smiled.

"Oh, Captain Bennett!" Polowitzer exclaimed. "Didn't think we'd meet again so soon. How's about helping us find these damned SCUD's?"

"How long has it been since the last contact?" Tiffany requested.

"About 5 minutes since we lost them in a sandstorm. It came out of nowhere, almost like it was generated on the spot…" Polowitzer wondered. "Have you encountered anything similar around here?"

"Not to our knowledge, Major." Rachel replied.

"Hmm. What do you think, AWACS?" Polowitzer proposed.

Before Tiffany could respond, Lacey and Nichole dropped out of formation.

"I saw them! Enemy is popping on and off radar, but they're down there for certain!" Nichole exclaimed.

"Nichole and Lacey, get back here!" Tiffany snapped.

"If we wait around, they'll get away!" Lacey replied, chasing after Nichole.

"Damn, incoming fighters as well! Cover those idiots while they chase down the SCUD's." Tiffany fumed, as Nichole and Lacey raced into the sandstorm.

Nichole and Lacey rushed into the sandstorm, and every other minute they could see the silhouettes of the SCUD launchers light up on radar. As the abrasive sand grinded against their Bomber Units, Nichole clutched her 30mm Avenger tightly as did Lacey with her Oerlikon KBA 25mm.

"They're just behind the sandstorm perimeter." Nichole noted. "Lacey, I'm going to do a low altitude gun run to get their attention, then you'll come in behind me and drop your Mk.82 Snakeye bombs."

"Sounds good." Lacey nodded.

As the duo emerged through the sandstorm and into open air, they were greeted by multiple hostile targets on their ground radar. The SCUD launchers, well hidden behind dug-in fortifications had their missiles trained skyward, while AA guns and SAM's were scattered around them in defensive formation. There were also logistic transports loaded with missiles and other ammunition, which appeared on their ground radar as well.

"Well I'll be damned." Lacey exclaimed.

"Ok, that changes things a bit. Lacey, select GBU-12 Paveway bombs instead and blast right through those fortified positions, it should send enough debris into the SCUD launchers to destroy them. I'll run the gauntlet and destroy the AA with my gun run and then finish up with a Mk.40 rocket barrage." Nichole explained.

"Understood." Lacey responded, opening her bomb bay doors and rotating the bomb rack to reveal her GBU-12 Paveway II bombs. "Uh… wait a minute."

"What's wrong?" Nichole asked.

"Do you have a designator on you? I don't exactly have one of my own." Lacey said sheepishly.

"Oh yeah…" Nichole sighed, as the palm of her hand came up to meet her face.

"You mean you haven't thought this plan through?" Rachel interrupted, zooming through the sandstorm.

"TB!" Nichole and Lacey exclaimed.

"I don't understand how the bloody hell you were going to guide laser bombs without a targeting pod, but far be it from me to sit back and let you get shot down." Rachel snickered sadistically.

"Scary." Lacey shuddered.

"I'll say." Nichole shuddered.

"Anywho, I'm lighting up the LANTIRN now. Get ready, Lacey!" Rachel called out.

Lacey heard the lockon tone in her ears as the vision aperture on her GBU-12 began tracking the laser designation. "Dakota Demolition, bombs away!" She announced, as five guided bombs began their descent down the glide slope and followed the lasers.

Rachel watched in her targeting camera as the protective concrete caved in, followed by a substantial explosion as each of the 500lb warheads detonated and destroyed the positions. There was a secondary explosion, as the SCUD missiles themselves detonated, sending fire and twisted metal almost 100 meters into the air.

"All SCUD launchers neutralized!" Rachel declared.

"Lady Liberty, beginning gun run." Nichole informed, as she descended upon the confused ground troops with Mk.40 rockets ready and her GAU-8 Avenger spun up. There was a distinctive 'BRRRRRRT' sound as her bullets ripped through the earth, and a flurry of explosions as the 70mm rockets streaked out of their launch tubes and set the enemy ammunition storage ablaze.

"Nichole, get out of there! It's gonna blow!" Lacey warned.

Nichole pulled skyward, just as the ammunition storage for the AA guns detonated, destroying nearby SAM storages and the spare R-17 missiles for the SCUD's.

"Yahoo!" Nichole hollered over the radio.

"Bloody hell." Rachel laughed, shaking her head.

As the girls turned to rejoin their group, they found the 9th JSF and 335th TFS to be very busy with enemy fighters. An F-15E flew within their range with a Teki fighter glued to his 6 o'clock, which Lisa struck down with her GAU-2/A minigun. The pilot flew back around and saluted her from his canopy, as he returned to the ever-intensifying dogfight.

"Oh, look who decided to show up." Lisa snickered just above the roar of her minigun.

"You girls are in for it when we reach Dhahran." Tiffany warned. "SCUD's or not, you don't just run off with no plan and without your team."

"Yes ma'am…" They hung their heads.

"But in light of our current situation, just get in there and bag some bandits." Tiffany commanded, updating their IFF to display the enemy fighters on radar.

Nichole and the others raced into the furball, and Lacey started chasing a Teki fighter that was following Harriet.

"Harriet, switch your flight mode!" Lacey radioed, closing the distance.

"Got it!" Harriet acknowledged, and without hesitation directed her exhaust nozzles down, entering a tight vertical loop and breaking contact with the enemy as Lacey shredded the fighter with her Oerlikon KBA 25mm.

"Nice kill!" Harriet cheered, leveling out as Lacey pulled alongside her.

"There's still plenty more, let's keep going." Lacey smirked.

"Rachel, on your six o'clock!" Tiffany warned.

"Dammit!" Rachel looked over her shoulder, as a Teki slotted in behind her. The F-15 rolled right, and then left, but the enemy fighter held on tight. She heard the radar lock warning in her headset, and immediately applied airbrakes to make the Teki overshoot. The enemy did the same, and then fired an air-to-air missile.

"Rachel, incoming missile! Break! Break!" Tiffany insisted.

"I can't… dammit! He's too agile! Let's see if he can copy this…!" Rachel grinned, dumping flares into the sky to confuse the missile, which whizzed past her and exploded a few meters away. Rachel pulled up and rolled to the right, making a corkscrew maneuver to bleed off speed. Her flight suit clenched around her as she fought against the G-forces, waiting for the Teki to get in front of her.

When the fighter finally overshot her, she leveled out and kicked the afterburners on, and readied her Vulcan cannon, spraying bullets as the enemy was ripped apart. A strange black fluid splattered over her face, as the Teki broke apart and crashed towards the desert floor.

"Eugh!" Rachel exclaimed in horror. "What is this, there's so much of it…" She complained, before making an unintentional discovery as she smelled the foul odor. "Packard 41 to Apex Eye."

"Go ahead." Tiffany answered.

"That Teki had a stomach full of crude oil. I know that smell anywhere." Rachel frowned.

"Did you say… oil?" Tiffany asked wondrously.

"Yeah, crude oil straight out of the ground. I've never seen the Teki take interest in fossil fuels, but… I'd say they're consuming oil straight out of the drilling fields and tanks." Rachel concluded.

"I'll be damned. When we get to Dhahran I'll have intelligence look into that possibility." Tiffany said thoughtfully.

Just then, Michelle experienced a similar phenomenon as she tore up an enemy fighter with her M45 Quadmount and it spewed out a viscous black liquid. "Ew, gross!" Michelle whined, trying to wipe it off. "Gas guzzling pieces of crap… Disgusting!" Michelle snapped.

"All units, be careful in close combat with the Teki fighters, they appear to release their stomach contents when attacked with bullets, and they're full of crude oil." Tiffany remarked.

"So, what." Janine raised her 105mm howitzer. "Not all of us have missiles."

"Hmmm… We'll have to see about that then. Now I have two things to discuss with command." Tiffany stroked her chin.

As the rest of the Teki were mopped up, the girls returned to Dhahran where there were massive rows of army tents all over the place, Coalition aircraft in hardened air raid shelters, and a network of AA guns and SAM's that covered the whole airfield from end to end. On landing approach, they could see the SCUD crater where one of the barracks had been destroyed that morning. Two massive runways dominated the airfield, as they were bristling with F-15's, F-16's, C-17's and C-5's. After a brief conversation with the tower about late arrival, the girls were cleared for final approach.

"Some welcome…" Tiffany scoffed, as they set down on runway 16R.


End file.
